Nomograms of the Fetal Heart between 16 and 39 Weeks of Gestation
Athita Chanthasenanont MD*, Charintip Somprasit MD*, Densak Pongrojpaw MD*
Affiliation : * Division of Maternal-Fetal- Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Thammasat University, Pathumthani
Objective : To establish the normal fetal cardiac measurement from 16 to 39 weeks’ gestation in Thai fetuses.
Material and Method: Four hundred and eighty normal singleton pregnant women were recruited into the
present study. The sonographic measurements were obtained from axial scans at the level of the four-chamber
view.
Results : The regression model for cardiac circumference (CC), thoracic circumference (TC), thickness of
left ventricular wall during diastole (LVW), diameter of left ventricle during diastole (LVD) and systole (LVS)
and thickness of interventricular septum during diastole (IVS) were best fit by allowing a polynomial for
gestational age. The cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) and shortening fraction of left ventricle (SFLV) were not
statistically different with advancing gestation.
Conclusion : The normal values of fetal CC, TC, CTR, LVW, LVD, LVS, IVS and SFLV during gestation were
established. These data could serve as a standard to investigate cardiac change in pregnancies with fetuses at
risk.
Keywords : Fetal echocardiography, Cardiothoracic circumference ratio, Left ventricular wall thickness, Interventricular septal thickness, Shortening fraction of left ventricle
